Movable gate and dredge.



No. 679,l63. Patented My 23, F301.

0. B. SMITH.

MOVABLE GATE AND DREDGE.

- (Applicntion filed may 10, 1901.) (In llodeL) WITNESSES llrrno Smarts amnwr rnrcn.

OBADIAH OOLE SMITH, OF GREELEY, COLORADO.

MOVABLE GATE AND DREDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 679,163, dated July 23, 1901. Application filed May 10, 1901. Serial No. 59,665. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OBADIAH COLE SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Greeley, in the county of Weld and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Movable Gate and Dredge, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a movable gate and dredge of peculiarly novel and simple type for the purpose of removing earth, silt, and sediment from the bottom of water courses, ways, channels, or artificial excavations, and particularly for the purpose of cleaning, lowering, and widening irrigating ditches, canals, and laterals.

My said invention consists of a gate with triangular swinging win gs on each side thereof attached to a beam in the front portion of a flat-boat, said beam being braced with two ropes or cables running from the top of said beam to the rear corners of said boat. Said gate and wings are attached to said beam by means of a series of pulleys or lifts in such manner that the gate and wings may be raised or lowered at the will of the operator. The machine is so placed in the channel of a water course or way that said gate and wings are in front of said boat and fit closely against the banks and the bottom of the channel, thus making a movable dam. The effect of this is to check and raise the water behind the dam, the water finding its escape beneath the said gate. The erosion of the water under the pressure so made and escaping beneath the gate cuts and washes away the earth, silt, and sediment thereunder. The current of the water moves the boat forward as fast as the earth, silt, and sediment are cut and washed away, as aforesaid.

Figure 1 of the drawings hereto attached and made a part hereof represents a longitudinal section of said invention. Fig. 2 is a ground plan of said invention. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of said invention, showing gate, wings, beam, and lift in position in water course or channel. Fig. at shows the action of the water cutting and washing away the earth, silt, and sediment from beneath the Fig. 5 represents one of the wings.

gate.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the different views.

Said invention is more fully and specifically described as follows:

A represents a boat, Figs. 1 and 2.

B represents a slanting beam near the front of boat A, attached by wooden blocks B, firmly nailed or spiked to bottom of boat A and to beam l3, Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

B represents a wooden block or blocks used to attach the beam 13 to the bottom of boat A, Fig. 1.

B represents ropes or cables running from top of beam B to the two rearcorners of boat A for the purpose of bracing and strengthening beam 13, Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

O is a series of pulleys or lifts connecting gate D with beam B and used in raising and lowering gate D and wings E. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and In Fig. 4: water is represented cutting and washing away earth, silt, and sediment from beneath gate D.

E represents triangular wings attached t either side of gate D by hinges or otherwise, so that the wings E may swing freely, Figs. 2, 3, and 5. Fig. 5 represents one of the wings E.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in a movable gate and dredge, a gate D with triangular, swinging wings E on each side, attached by hinges or otherwise so that they will swing freely, said gate D and wings E suspended by a series of pulleys or lifts O to beam B attached to boat, rafts or fioat A; said gate D and wings E to be lowered or raised by said series of pulleys or lifts O, substantially as set forth and described and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have set my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OBADIAH COLE SMITH.

Witnesses:

HERBERT M. BAKER, A. J. LUTHER. 

